Cigarette construction



P 1962 A. P. MILLER 3,054,409

CIGARETTE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 25, 1960 FIG. 2.

F l G.- 3.

FIG. 4.

INVENTOR.

ANTHONY P. MILLER BY ATTORLIEX 3,854,4ifl9 Patented Sept. 18, 1962 3,054,409 CIGARETTE CONSTRUCTION Anthony P. Miller, Pleasantville, N .J Achilles Corp, 3333 Arctic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ.) Filed Aug. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 53,582 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-9) This invention relates to an improved cigarette construction and, more particularly, to improved construction of cigarettes, cigars and similar articles. This application is a coutinuation-in-part of my copending applications Serial No. 453,254, filed August 31, 1954, now abandoned, Serial No. 671,458, filed July 12, 1957, now abandoned, and Serial No. 762,377, filed September 22, 1958.

The use of smoking tobacco is today both well known and widespread in spite of the fact that it is recognized by some authorities that smoking is injurious to the delicate membranes of the nose, throat and lungs of the smoker and is credited with inducing cancer of the lips, mouth, throat and lungs, and with inducing heart diseases.

The principal products of tobacco smoke are carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, acid fumes, nicotine vapors, and tars. The first two of these products are not generally regarded as harmful to the smoker. The remainder of these products are generally considered harmful and even though only a small proportion of these products resulting from the combustion of the entire cigarette actually enter the smokers system, that quantity is sufficient to be considered by some authorities as being harmful to the smoker.

Various means are employed to reduce the harmful effects of these products of combustion. Various chemica-ls have been employed in admixture with the tobacco in an endeavor to nullify the harmful ingredients of the smoke. Some of these ohernicals, While apparently nullifying the harmful smoke ingredients, release upon combustion equally toxic substances or destroy or impair the aroma that is delighted in by tobacco smokers. Certain other neutralizing agents are unstable and, by the time the cigarette is consumed, these agents have decomposed and fail to accomplish their purpose. Other agents cause unpleasant taste or are for other reasons undesirably employed. Numerous types of mechanical filters have been devised. These filters generally add materially to the cost of manufacture of the cigarette and many of them are of little value.

It is the object of my invention to provide a cigarette construction by means of which the harmful products of combustion of the tobacco drawn into the mouth of the smoker are minimized and the smoking of the cigarette is made less harmful and more satisfactory and pleasing to the smoker.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cigarette construction providing an array of openings on a radial plane in the vicinity of the end held by the smoker to admit air into the cigarette while it is being puffed, thus restoring to the air drawn through a cigarette and into the mouth of the smoker at least a substantial portion of the oxygen which has been consumed by the combustion of the tobacco and paper wrapper. This results in a cooler smoke, in breaking down some of the products of combustion, and in allowing the tobacco in the cigarette and filters, if provided with the cigarette, to act more eificiently in absorbing the acid fumes, nicotine vapors and tars.

According to one aspect of the invention, means for stiffening the cigarette wrapper are provided in the areas thereof adjacent the openings to improve their effectiveness. As the smoking of a cigarette progresses, the cigarette tends to become soft and spongy, with a loss of its firmness, and the wrapper appears to become moist. This condition is believed to be due to the condensation of moisture in the cigarette. In the case of cigarettes having ordinary openings such as produced by an ordinary pin, the openings may, therefore, tend to close or be otherwise affected to reduce the effectiveness of the openings in reducing the harmful effects of smoking. As disclosed hereafter, and particularly in said application Serial No. 762,377, filed September 22, 1958, there may be cut in the wrapper flap-like openings which act as valves, in that their deflection permits more air to be drawn into the cigarette in proportion to the strength of a pufi. The inherent springiness of the wrapper paper is responsible in large part for the operation of such valves, and the application of a stiffening coating to the deflected portions serves to enhance this springiness and, especially, to ensure consistent effectiveness of the openings despite condensation and the softening of the wrapper previously mentioned. The consistent functioning of the flap-like openings is important because, of course, it is when the major portion of the cigarette has been consumed that the reduction of harmful effects is most important. Possibly also the stifiening coating will serve to maintain the flaps in an least a slightly deflected position throughout the smoking. Such a stiffening coating may be applied as a band around the entire circumference of the cigarette at the openings to act as a reinforcement and further advantage, since it will be evident that if a considerable number of openings are provided in a concentrated area they may tend to weaken the overall cigarette considerably.

A further advantage of a stiffening coating exists in connection with the formation of openings in the cigarettes either during or after their manufacture thereof. This may be illustrated by reference to my Patent No. 2,924,223 and my copending application Serial No. 777,- 082 filed November 28, 1958, which disclose relatively simple devices for producing openings in a cigarette Wrapper. Typically such a device has knife-like elements which are actuated to pierce or cut the cigarette wrapper. If the cigarette wrapper and/ or filler are soft rather than firm, then especially the prior application of a stiffening coating as hereafter described results in better, more cleanly defined openings.

It is a further object of the invention to provide marked openings as described above making the presence of the openings obvious to a purchaser and/ or consumer of the cigarette. The commercial value of my improved cigarette construction may be materially enhanced by providing a cigarette in which the presence of the openings is readily apparent. The value of this will become evident when it is realized that suitably dimensioned openings may be, for example, of the order of .01 in. to .03 in. diameter.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:'

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette embodying one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation of a cigarette showing an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a cigarette showing a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a cigarette showing an alternative embodiment of the modification of the invention shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the cigarette shown in FIGURE 1 on the trace 5-5 thereof and through a marked opening therein.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown generally at 2 a cigarette including a body portion 4 and a mouthpiece 6. The cigarette may or may not be of the type having a filter within the mouthpiece 6 and, as will be evident hereinafter, the Cigarette need not be provided with the mouthpiece 6 but may be constructed with a wrapper paper extending the entire length of the cigarette.

The cigarette shown in FIGURE 1 is provided with an array of minute openings 8 extending around its circumference and positioned approximately an inch and a half from the mouthpiece end of the cigarette at 10. When the mouthpiece 6 is of a filter type construction, the array of openings 8 is desirably positioned approximately one-half inch ahead of the leading edge portion 12 of the filter. It will be evident that the openings 8 will serve as vents permitting the entry of cool air into the cigarette when a negative pressure is applied to the end by the smoker. Thus, upon each puif of the cigarette, cool air including oxygen is drawn into the cigarette, mixes with the products of combustion and passes through the tobacco and/or a filter unit extending between the openings 8 and the end 10 of the cigarette. This cool air mixing with the smoke and passing through the cigarette cools the smoke, tends to break down some of the products of combustion and allows the tobacco and/ or filter elements to act more effectively in absorbing the undesirable products of combustion. Thus, not only is the smoke drawn into the mouth and lungs of the smoker at a lower temperature and with a substantial portion of the consumed oxygen restored, but also the smoke has been filtered to a much higher degree of effectiveness and some of the harmful products of combustion have been broken down before reaching the smokers mouth.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section through the cigarette shown in FIGURE 1, including the body portion 4 and an opening indicated generally at 8. The stippling indicated at 9 in FIGURE 5 represents an inked, printed or otherwise marked area, hereinafter broadly referred to as printed for accentuating the existence of the openings. It will be evident that this arrangement will provide accentuation having the appearance of printed rings surrounding the openings.

In the manufacture of a cigarette such as shown in FIGURE 1 a continuous strip of cigarette wrapper paper may be carried past perforating means in the form of projections suitable for piercing holes in the paper. The printing indicated at 5 may be provided by inking these projections. Thus the printing is accomplished Without necessitating the addition of any substantial amount of apparatus in the cigarette manufacturing process and the accentuating printing is, at all times, provided in perfect register with the openings.

In operations involving the provision of small openings, the openings may be formed either by deflecting portions of the material to provide an opening therein as shown in FIGURE 5 or by actually removing a portion of the material in the manner of production of the slots as hereinafter discussed in connection with FIGURE 2. The removal of small bits of material is invariably accompanied by the problem of disposing of the removed material during high speed operation of apparatus. On the other hand, if the openings are provided by merely piercing the sheet of paper and deflecting portions of the paper there may be involved, under some conditions, the problem of preventing these deflected portions from being deflected back to their original positions whereupon the hole will become closed and will be insuflicient for the admission of air in the finished cigarette. If the openings in the cigarette shown in FIGURES l and 5 are produced in this manner and if the piercing points are coated with a stiffening binder-type of material such as, for example, a varnish or a glue sizing, which may or may not be colored to provide accentuation of the existence of the hole, the binder upon solidification or drying will stiffen the paper in the region of application thereof and will serve to prevent the deflected flap portions of the material surrounding the hole from being pressed back into the plane of the sheet and thus closing the opening after formation thereof.

An alternative embodiment of the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 1 is shown in FIGURE 2 and involves an array of slots 20 positioned around the circumference of a cigarette 16, which may or may not be of a filter type, as indicated at 18. The slots are positioned approximately an inch and a half from the end of the cigarette 22 and preferablya half inch from the forward end of the filter portion 18 if a filter is employed. The arrangement of slots shown has the advantage of providing a cross-sectional path for the inlet of air which, for example, may be equivalent to the cross-sectional path provided by the openings 8 without weakening the wrapper around the cigarette to the extent that the wrapper is weakened by the openings.

Slots 20 may be cut by mating, die cutting rollers involving a roller having piercing projections and a cooperating roller having projections receiving recesses. In FIGURE 2 there is shown a band 21 extending circumferentially of the cigarette and extending between adjacent slots 20. Band 21 may be taken as representing either an ink of contrasting color, or a clear and uncontrasting stiffening hinder, or such a binder of contrasting color. The binder will constitute an effective reinforcement of the cigarette in the area of slots 20 and also facilitate the provision of such openings in manufacturing the cigarette. The contrasting color in the form of inking or colored binder will, of course, focus the attention on the slots 20 and make their presence known. Inking means of conventional nature may be provided for inking the recessed roller in the region of the recesses therein and, thus, an inked band 21 may be provided at the time the slots 20 are pieced and in perfect register therewith.

In FIGURE 3 there is shown a cigarette 24 provided with V-shaped slits 26. This slitting provides an array of little valves formed by the flaps of paper within the V-shaped slits, which flaps will be deflected to a degree depending upon the pressure differential existing thereacross and thus serve to permit more air to be drawn into the cigarette during a hard or strong puff by the smoker than would be drawn into the cigarette during a gentle pufi.

An alternative form of the modification shown in FIGURE 3 is shown in FIGURE 4, and employs a circumferential array of U-shaped slits 28 which also serve to provide a valve structure similar to that described in connection with FIGURE 3.

In the arrangements shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 the slits 26 and 28 form flaps 27 and 29, respectively. The flaps of FIGURE 3 are of triangular form and the flaps of FIGURE 4 are of semi-circular form. Of particular importance, for reasons discussed in the introduction, is the application of a stiffening binder, such as varnish or glue sizing, to the respective flaps 27 and 29. Also, this stifiening preferably is provided in a band, similar to band 21 in FIGURE 2, extending circumferentially of the cigarette thereby to reinforce the same. The stifiening means may be transparent, in which case it is not visible in FIGURES 3 and 4, or it may contrast with the wrapper. The application of stiffening means is intended to improve the valving action of the V-shaped or semicircular slits in reducing the harmful efiects of cigarette smoke and, particularly, to insure that'their action will remain consistent and unaffected by moistening and softening of the cigarette as smoking progresses. The flaps may be printed by the shearing means forming them and, if desired, the printing may be selected to accentuate the configuration of the slits. Thus, for purposes of illustration, in FIGURE 3 each printed area is shown in the form of a diamond having two of its boundaries formed by the V-shaped slit, and in FIGURE 4 each printed area is shown in the form of a circle having approximately half of its circumference bounded by the V-shaped or semi-circular slit 28.

While the invention has thus far been described in connection with a cigarette, it will be evident that the principle involved may be employed in conjunction With a cigar or other type of tobacco smoking article. The word cigarette as employed herein should be construed as encompassing within its meaning such smoking articles.

It will be evident that in each form of the invention described the size and number of the holes, slots or slits employed as vents are interdependent, and that the size and number of the vents employed will be dependent upon the firmness with which the tobacco in the cigarette is packed and the relative proportion of fresh air desirably mixed with the products of combustion.

It Will be evident from the foregoing that the invention provides not only for the admission of air to the cigarette during smoking thereof and attendant benefits derived therefrom but also provides by means of printed areas for the accentuation of the existence of the air admission means.

What is claimed is:

1. A smokers article comprising means providing a Wrapper for said article, a filler for said wrapper filling said Wrapper for at least a portion of its length with tobacco, a circumferential arraw of flap-like vents extending through the wrapper adjacent to one end thereof and through which air may be drawn when the article is smoked, said vents being in the form of substantial portions of the wrapper deflected at angles to the plane thereof, and said deflected portions of the Wrapper being coated With stiffening means tending to restrain the said portions in their deflected positions While permitting some deflection thereof under the influence of suction applied to the cigarette in the course of smoking.

2. A smokers article comprising means providing a Wrapper for said article, a filler for said Wrapper filling said Wrapper for at least a portion of its length with tobacco, a circumferential array of flap-like vents extending through the wrapper adjacent to one end thereof and through which air may be drawn when the article is smoked, said vents being in the form of substantial portions of the wrapper deflected at angles to the plane thereof, said deflected portions of the wrapper being coated with stifiening means tending to restrain the said portions in their deflected positions While permitting some deflection therof under the influence of suction applied to the cigarette in the course of smoking, and said coating providing a surface distinguishable from the remainder of the surface of the wrapper accentuating the existence of said vents.

Pelletier July 1, 1958 Stamm Sept. 30, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,673 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1920 

